Template device



March 26, 1963 H, PATRICK, JR 3,082,651

TEMPLATE DEVICE Filed Jan. 25, 1962 LW C@ MMW United States Patent O 3,082,651 TEMPLATE DEVICE Harold H. Patrick, Jr., 1421 84th St., Des Moines, Iowa Filed Jan. 25, 1962, Ser. No. 168,784 12 Claims. (Cl. 77-62) My invention relates to the template art and more specifically pertains to a template used in the insulation of track supports for overhead door systems.

Overhead door systems vary substantially in design and the location of the supporting structure on the tracks differs with each door designed. A given door manufacturer may produce several different doors and the track supporting structure for each door will be located in a different position on a door frame. Thus, one who installs doors of only a single manufacturer has the problem of accurately determining the location of the track supporting structure and his problem differs each time a door of different design is utilized. These problems are greatly compounded by one who endeavors to install the overhead doors of several manufacturers. The precise and accurate location of the track support is very critical to the successful operation of the door after it is installed. The track supporting means is usually comprised of a bracket having three or more holes therein and the bracket is normally secured to the door frame by heavy bolts or screws. The one installing the brackets must precisely locate the desired position of each screw in the bracket and then drill holes in the door frame at these predetermined points so that the holes can receive the screws or bolts. Obviously, if the holes are not bored at the proper locations, the bracket, and hence the track, will be out of position and the malfunction of the door will result.

Therefore, the principal object of my invention is to provide a template device wherein an operator can quickly and accurately determine the location of the bracket supporting screws after the type of door and track involved have been determined.

A further object of my invention is to provide a template device that will accurately determine the location of the bracket supporting screws for a plurality of different door and track designs.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a template device for use in locating the positions of the bracket supporting screws for an overhead door suspension system wherein the same template device canpbe used to perform this function on both `sides of a door frame.

A still further object of my invention is -to provide a template device that will aid in locating the positions of bracket supporting screws for overhead door systems and which will also serve as a guide for the drill bit which is used to bore holes at these predetermined positions.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a. template device which will facilitate the boring of holes in predetermined positions and which will resist the wearing and deterioration on the template resulting by passing a drill bit therethrough upon successive occasions.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a template device which has means for detachably securing the template to a door frame after the template has been placed in its desired and predetermined position.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a template device that is economical of manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specically pointed out in my claims, and' illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a door opening in a garage or the like in which an overhead door is to be installed. This ligure shows how my template is applied to the door frame to accomplish its intended purpose;

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of my device taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional view of my device showing a drill bit passing through one of the drill bushings in my device;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the drill bushings used in my device before it has been adapted thereto;

FIG. 5 is an elevational View of one form of my device as the device is normally used by the one using it; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 except that the form of my device in FIG. 6 utilizes a different system of indicia marks.

I have used the numeral 1l) to generally designate a garage structure or the like with a door opening 12. A door frame is comprised of vertical side frame members 14 and 16 with a horizontal frame member 18 joining the tops of side frame members 14 and 16. The lower surface 20 of horizontal frame member 18 defines a straight line as would be the case in all rectangular door openings.

My template is comprised primarily of a rectangular plate 22 which is preferably composed of plastic, wood, or some relatively lightweight material. A plurality of apertures 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 are located on the longitudinal axis of plate 22 and each of the apertures extend in a perpendicular direction from the longitudinal axis completely through the plate. Apertures 36 and 38 are similar to the above described apertures and are symmetrically located in the plate with respect to both the longitudinal axis and the side edges thereof. It is very important that the side edges 39 and 4t) be straight and parallel to each other. A drill bushing 41 having a thickness equal to that of the plate 22 is forcibly mounted in each of the above described apertures. The outer surface of the bushing can be narrowed as shown in FIG. 4 to facilitate its rigid attachment within the apertures. The drill bushings 4l can be forced into the apertures to be held frictionally therein, or the use of adhesives between the apertures and the bushings can also be employed to accomplish the same result. A center aperture 42 in each of the drill `bushings 41 has a diameter slightly greater than that of the drill bit 44 which is used to drill the desired holes in the door frame members. The close tolerances between the drill bit 44 and the center aperture 42 in the drill bushings 41 permit the drill bushing to guide the direction of travel of the bit as it moves through each of the bushings. The hard metal bushings 41 resist the wear exerted on the template by the drill bit whereupon the precise location of the center aperture 42 of each of `the bushings is always maintained. The plate 22A in FIG. 6 is identical in all respects to the plate 22 in FIG. 5 except for the indicia marks which will be described hereafter. Similar numerals have been used to identify the corresponding parts of the two plates 22 and 22A except that the letter A has been added to each of the numerals in FIG. 6. iHereafter, the term aperture will refer to the center aperture 42 of the various drill bushings 41.

As indicated above, a given track supporting bracket for a door of given design will require three or more supporting screws in the normal course of events. Thus for example, a given bracket may require screws at the location dened for example, by apertures 24, 28, and 34. Obviously, each of these holes will all have a fixed relationship to any predetermined reference point, such as the straight line provided by the lower surface 20 of horizontal frame member 1S. Accordingly, when the bracket requiring screws at the location defined by apertures 24, 28, and 34 is properly located on the door frame, the top of the door opening, if extended, would pass across the template. Thus, line 46 extends across plate 22 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the sides thereof and this line `46 represents the location of the top of the door opening when the track supporting bracket being installed is one which requires screws at the locations of apertures 24, Z8, and 34. Horizontal lines 48, 56, and 52 serve this same purpose for three other door designs having each a different track supporting bracket. Two brackets may have one or more screw locations in common. The apertures in plates 22 and 22A represent all of the screw locations that are presented by 'four diferent bracket elements.

As indicated above, line 46 is in alignment with the top of a door opening when apertures 2d, 28 and 34 present the proper spaced relationship between the screws necessary for the bracket designed for a given door. As shown in FIG. 1, line 46 is placed in alignment with the top of the door opening 12 and the side 39 of plate 22 is placed in alignment with the inner edge of frame member 16. A drill 54 in which drill bit 44 is mounted can then be urged through each of the apertures 24, 28 and 34 to bore holes as required for the racket involved. The line 46 can be of a single color or can be identified by a colored indicia mark 56 as shown in PIG. 5. The line 46A in FIG. 6 is identified by an indicia mark 56A which could be a number or, for example, the letter A." Each of the holes 24, 23 and 34 has an indicia mark corresponding to that used to identify line 46. In FIG. 5, apertures 24, 28 and 34 all have indicia marks 57 which are of the same color as line 46 and indicia marks 56. Similarly, in FIG. 6, apertures 24A, 28A, and 34A all have indicia marks 57A which correspond to the letter or number 56A on line 46A.

In a similar manner, a second door design employing a bracket requiring screws at the location shown by apertures 26, 38, 34, 36 or 3g may have an extension of the top of the door opening passing over the line 48. Line 48 could be brown in color or have a brown indicia mark 53 with a corresponding brown indica mark adjacent each of the apertures 26, 3i), 34 and 36 or 38. Since apertures 36 and 38 are symmetrically located on plate 22, the apertures 36 would be used when the plate 22 was positioned on the righthand side of the door opening, as viewed in FIG. 1, and the aperture 38 would be used when the plate was placed on the opposite of the door opening. Similarly, a different numeral or letter could be used to identify line 48A on plate 22A. Thus, indicia mark 58A could constitute the letter B and a similar indicia mark 59A could be placed adjacent each of the apertures 26A, 30A, 34A and 36A or 38A.

In the same manner, a third door design could utilize reference line 56 which could be red in color or have red indicia marks 6l). The bracket corresponding to the reference line 50 could utilize apertures 26, 28, and 32, for example. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, each of these three apertures have an indicia mark 61 which corresponds in identity to the indicia mark 6i) which identifies the reference line 5t). A fourth door design may have a reference line 52 which can be blue in color or have a blue indicia mark 62. The bracket there involved could utilize apertures 24, 36, and 36 `or 38. An indicia mark 63 should appear adjacent each one of these apertures and should correspond in identity to the indicia mark 62 which identities the line 52.

As indicated above, the operator needs only to know which door is being installed so that the correct reference line on the template can be selected. If the door utilizing reference line 46 is being used, the operator aligns line 46 with the top of the door opening and aligns the edge 39 of plate 22 with the edge of vertical door frame member i6. Needle elements 64 imbedded in the plate 22 can protrude from the back of the plate and be detachably imbedded in the door frame to ternporarily hold the plate to the door frame during the whole drilling operation. After the plate is so positioned, the drill bit 44 and related structure can be utilized to drill holes in the apertures that correspond to the line 46. In that case, holes would be drilled in the apertures 24, 28 and 34. The drill bushings 4l would align the drill bit `4d during the drilling operation and the bushings would prevent the apertures from being unduly worn. After the holes have been drilled on one side of the door opening 12, the template can be removed and repositioned on the opposite side of the door wherein line 46 would again be aligned with the top of the door opening and the side 40 would be aligned with the inner edge of the vertical door frame member i4. The horizontal distance from each aperture to the side of the plate being utilized will always define the distance from the edge of the door opening that each hole will be drilled. The same template can be used to install doors corresponding to the reference lines 48, 5t) and 52. Obviously, the number of reference lines and the number of apertures in a given template can be varied to suit the requirements of any number of door designs.

Thus, from the foregoing, it is seen that my device will accomplish at least all ot its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my template device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

l. In a template device,

a plate member,

a plurality of markings adjacent at least one edge of said plate member,

a plurality of apertures extending through said plate member,

an identification mark adjacent each of said markings,

each of said identification marks being different,

and at least one identification mark adjacent each of said apertures;

the identification marks adjacent said apertures being similar to at least one of the identification marks adjacent said markings.

2. The structure of claim l wherein a drill bushing is secured within each of said apertures.

3. The structure of claim l wherein the opposite sides of said plate member are parallel and any of said apertures appearing on what would be a straight line extending perpendicularly between said opposite sides would be symmetrically located between said opposite sides.

4. The structure of claim l wherein said identification marks are colored areas.

5. The structure of claim l wherein said identication marks are letters or numerals.

6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said plate member includes means for detachably securing said plate to a vertical door frame.

.7. The structure of claim 1 wherein at least some of said apertures have more than one indicia mark adjacent thereto.

8. In a template device,

a rectangular plate member,

a plurality of straight parallel lines extending laterally across the longitudinal axis thereof and being perpendicular to the sides thereof,

identification marks adjacent said lines,

a plurality of apertures extending through said plate member,

identification marks adjacent said apertures,

the identitication marks adjacent said apertures being similar to at least one of the identilcation marks adjacent said lines.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein at least some of said apertures are on the longitudinal axis of said plate member.

l0. The structure of claim 8 wherein all of said apertures appearing at any given distance from one end of said plate member are symmetrically positioned in a lateral direction with respect to both the longitudinal axis and sides of said plate member.

1l. In a template device,

a rectangular plate member,

a plurality of straight parallel lines extending laterally across the longitudinal axis thereof and being perpendieular to the sides thereof,

each of said lines being a different color,

a plurality of apertures extending through Said plate member,

identification marks adjacent said apertures,

said identication marks being similar in color to the color of one of said lines.

12. ln a template device,

a plate member having at least one straight side,

a plurality of markings adjacent said straight side,

a plurality of .apertures extending through said plate member,

identication means on Said plate member and associated with said aperture and said straight side,

said identification means including similar marks whereby one of said markings can be visually associated with at least one of said apertures.

1960 (Kl. 54 h 5), 3 pages spec., 2 sheets drawing. 

1. IN A TEMPLATE DEVICE, A PLATE MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF MARKINGS ADJACENT AT LEAST ONE EDGE OF SAID PLATE MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF APERTURES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PLATE MEMBER, AN IDENTIFICATION MARK ADJACENT EACH OF SAID MARKINGS, EACH OF SAID IDENTIFICATION MARKS BEING DIFFERENT, AND AT LEAST ONE IDENTIFICATION MARK ADJACENT EACH OF SAID APERTURES; THE IDENTIFICATION MARKS ADJACENT SAID APERTURES BEING SIMILAR TO AT LEAST ONE OF THE IDENTIFICATION MARKS ADJACENT SAID MARKINGS. 